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Although the NBA has launched a series of initiatives in recent years that are leading more and more players to want to stay in the American league, transfers from the NBA to EuroLeague teams have always been a constant feature of the top tier of European basketball.
Over the years, we've seen, in some cases, blockbuster transfers that have changed the face of the competition, and in other cases, transfers that ultimately turned out to be real disappointments.
However, recent changes in the EuroLeague, combined with increased team budgets, are leading several NBA players to consider a stint in Europe to breathe new life into their careers.
Looking at the modern era of the EuroLeague, what have been the most sensational transfers from the NBA to Europe? Which players have excited EuroLeague fans the most?
In this article, we present 10 NBA-to-EuroLeague transfers in the modern era that have had the biggest impact.
It's worth noting that this is not a ranking but simply a list.
Kemba Walker to AS Monaco
Credit /IPA/SIPA - Scanpix
In the summer of 2023, Kemba Walker signed a one-year contract with Monaco, and his move to France was one of the big stories of the summer.
Walker had enjoyed a high-level NBA career, appearing in the All-Star Game four times, but in the years leading up to his arrival in Europe, injuries had severely limited him.
His time in the Principality also proved to be less than successful. Walker played only in the EuroLeague and in a limited role, finishing with an average of just 4.4 points per game.
After his season with Monaco, Walker decided to retire from professional basketball, realizing that his body could no longer keep up.
Serge Ibaka to Bayern Munich
Credit D. Lukšta
Serge Ibaka began his professional career in Spain before moving to the NBA, where he quickly became a key player for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
In 2011, Ibaka made a brief return to Spain, playing for Real Madrid during the NBA lockout, but that stint lasted only a handful of games.
In 2023, after also winning an NBA championship with the Toronto Raptors, Ibaka made a somewhat surprising decision to return to Europe, signing with Bayern Munich, largely because of the presence of Pablo Laso, a coach he knew very well.
In his only season in Bavaria, Ibaka won the German league and German Cup titles, averaging 12.6 points and 7.0 rebounds per game in the EuroLeague.
Ricky Rubio back to Barcelona
Credit ZUMAPRESS.com - Scanpix
Ricky Rubio has always been one of the most precocious and brilliant talents in Spanish basketball, but over time, partly due to some personal losses that deeply affected him, his passion for the game gradually waned.
In 2024, after spending more than a decade in the USA, Rubio decided to leave the NBA while going through a very difficult phase in his life, and some time later, he chose to return home to Catalonia, where his career had begun.
His return to Barca was one of the biggest stories of that period. Seeing Rubio back on a basketball court, when many thought he might retire for good, was a moment cherished by the entire basketball community.
Marco Belinelli to Virtus Bologna
Credit Norberto Maccagno/LiveMedia-IPA/ZUMA Press Wire
After a long NBA career, which culminated in a championship with the San Antonio Spurs, Marco Belinelli, one of the most celebrated Italian players in recent history, decided to return to his homeland in the summer of 2020 and signed a lucrative multi-year contract with Virtus Bologna.
The team, owned by Massimo Zanetti, was extremely ambitious and determined to win the EuroCup at all costs, and decided to pair Belinelli with Milos Teodosic, the team's other star.
Belinelli's return to Virtus, where his career had begun, proved to be a resounding success.
With the Italian guard on the roster, Virtus went on to win the EuroCup, two Italian league titles, and three Italian Super Cups.
Jabari Parker to Barcelona
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Jabari Parker, the second overall pick in the 2014 draft, had an NBA career that perhaps fell a bit short of expectations.
The American forward was also hampered by injuries and, within a few years, found himself on the fringes of the league. Despite this, his signing with Barcelona in 2023 caused quite a stir.
It was thought that an offensive talent like Parker could still remain in the NBA, and his move to Europe wasn't exactly the most expected outcome.
Parker made a positive impact in Barcelona, and the former Milwaukee Bucks player quickly became one of the team's key players, even though Barca failed to win any major trophies during his first season in Catalonia.
Parker also forged a strong bond with the city, ultimately staying in Barcelona for another year and returning to the nearby town of Badalona after his unhappy stint with Partizan Belgrade.
Jonas Valanciunas to Zalgiris Kaunas
Credit zalgiris.lt
After more than a decade in the NBA, Jonas Valanciunas has decided to return home this summer, signing a two-year contract with Zalgiris Kaunas, a move that underscores the Lithuanian club's lofty ambitions.
Valanciunas had actually come very close to returning to Europe last offseason, when he had reached a preliminary agreement with Panathinaikos.
However, the deal fell through because the Denver Nuggets refused to release him, and the player remained in the NBA for another season.
Now, though, after becoming a free agent, Valanciunas wanted to return closer to home and quickly reached an agreement with Zalgiris.
Pau Gasol back to Barcelona
Credit Imago Images/Scanpix
Pau Gasol was one of the most important European players in the game's recent history.
The Catalan center had an extraordinary career, winning two NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers and countless medals with the Spanish national team at EuroBasket, the FIBA World Cup, and the Olympics.
In 2021, as his career was drawing to a close, Gasol chose to leave the NBA and play out the final months of his career with Barcelona, the club where it all began for him.
Although Gasol was nearing the end of his career, his impact on Barca was significant, and the Catalan center's performances helped Sarunas Jasikevicius' team win the ACB title and reach the EuroLeague final, which they ultimately lost to Ergin Ataman's Anadolu Efes.
Evan Fournier to Olympiacos
Credit Scanpix
During his NBA career, in which he played more than 700 games, Evan Fournier averaged more than 13 points per game.
His best scoring season, the 2019-20 season with the Orlando Magic, saw him average nearly 20 points per game. The Frenchman has always been an excellent scorer and could easily have continued playing in the NBA for several more seasons.
However, the end of his stint with the New York Knicks, where he had found himself on the fringes of the rotation, a prisoner of his own contract, convinced him that the time had come to make a change and find a place where he could be loved and respected as he deserved.
In the summer of 2024, Fournier signed a multi-year contract with Olympiacos, and upon his arrival in Athens, he was greeted by a huge crowd of fans, all excited to see him in the red-and-white jersey.
Olympiacos' decision to sign the French player proved an immediate success, as Fournier quickly became a key contributor to the Greek club's EuroLeague title victory this past season.
Nikola Mirotic to Barcelona
Credit IPA/SIPA - Scanpix
In 2019, after his contract with the Milwaukee Bucks expired, Nikola Mirotic could easily have signed another NBA contract. The Montenegrin-Spanish player had multi-year offers from the Utah Jazz and at least a couple of other NBA franchises.
Mirotic, however, had grown tired of the instability of recent seasons and of not being able to keep his family in one place.
To everyone's surprise, then, in the summer of 2019, the Montenegrin star decided to return to Europe by signing a lucrative multi-year contract with Barcelona, which at the time made him the highest-paid player in Europe.
For Barcelona, it was a top-tier move, and Mirotic immediately won the Spanish league MVP award in his first season with the Catalans.
Mirotic's return to Spain was one of the most sensational moves in recent years, signaling the EuroLeague clubs' desire to raise the bar even higher.
Josh Childress to Olympiacos
Credit Fotodiena.lt/R.Dačkus
Some younger fans may not remember this move, but it was a quintessential example of the shift from the NBA to Europe during that period.
In the summer of 2008, Josh Childress, a forward for the Atlanta Hawks, was coming off his rookie contract, which he had signed in 2004 after being selected with the sixth overall pick in the draft.
Everything pointed to Childress re-signing with the Hawks, who were offering him a contract worth approximately $32 million.
The American player, however, surprised everyone by signing a three-year, $20 million contract with Olympiacos.
By playing abroad, Childress could pay less in taxes, so Olympiacos' offer was more attractive than the Hawks'.
Signing a player of that caliber coming off his rookie contract was extremely rare, which is why that transfer remains one of the most sensational in the recent history of EuroLeague basketball.
EuroLeague Stars Should Stop Chasing The NBA!
Orazio Cauchi
Staff Writer
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